Breakthrough singer Lewis Capaldi is such a nice guy that after you and he breakup, he writes songs about the experience, then let's you preview them before they are released to the world.
That's what happened when the 23-year-old Scottish crooner crafted songs for his passionate pop debut, "Divinely Uninspired to a Hellish Extent," which focuses a good amount on the end of his relationship.
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Breakthrough singer Lewis Capaldi is such a nice guy that after you and he breakup, he writes songs about the experience, then let's you preview them before they are released to the world.
When asked about his album being compared to Adele's "21" — the colossal release that sent the Brit to superstardom but also brought attention to her ex — Capaldi said: "I think that's why I maybe subconsciously sent (my ex) those songs."
His grandmother's death fueled the lyrics behind his breakthrough anthem, the pop ballad "Someone You Loved," which is currently No. 3 on Billboard's all-genre Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on Top 40 radio. The song also topped the U.K. charts for seven weeks.
The multi-platinum-selling ballad has topped the charts in several territories, from Canada to Scotland to Malaysia, and it has helped raise Capaldi's profile in the U.S., where his album steadily climbs the Billboard 200 chart. This week, it has jumped to No. 25.
SiriusXM believed in Capaldi early, first playing "Someone You Loved" in December 2018: "When we heard it we thought, 'This is Ed Sheeran meets Adele with a very fresh, unique voice,'" said Scott Greenstein, president and chief operating officer at SiriusXM.
The music video for "Someone You Loved" — keep the tissues near — is focused on raising awareness about organ donation and stars the singer's cousin, "Doctor Who" actor Peter Capaldi. And the rest of Capaldi's album has similar emotion, hitting you in the gut with piercing lyrics anchored by his gravelly voice, which he honed by imitating Joe Cocker for years and years.
"During the course of this album I used to send (my ex) all of the songs like, 'What do you think of this? What do you think of this?' She was the only person who'd be like, 'This is (expletive) shady,'" said Capaldi, who is friends with his former girlfriend.
This Oct. 11, 2019 photo shows Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi poses for a portrait at concert venue Brooklyn Steel in New York. Capaldi’s hit single, “Someone You Loved,” spent seven weeks at No. 1 in the U.K. and, so far, has peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in the U.S. (AP PhotoKevin Hagen)
When asked about his album being compared to Adele's "21" — the colossal release that sent the Brit to superstardom but also brought attention to her ex — Capaldi said: "I think that's why I maybe subconsciously sent (my ex) those songs."
"Not that I was writing bad. She never did anything bad. It wasn't like my relationship ending was a grand thing of like, 'You cheated on me. I can't believe it,'" he added. "It was just one of those things that fizzled out. It was a shame. That's it."
But as Capaldi worked on his debut effort — which since its May release has combined global streams exceeding 2.3 billion — he found himself wanting to write about topics outside of his relationship. He said while recording the album, he was having the best years of his life, but sad moments like his breakup and the death of family members stood out. So, he wrote about the topics.
This Oct. 11, 2019 photo shows Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi poses for a portrait at concert venue Brooklyn Steel in New York. Capaldi’s hit single, “Someone You Loved,” spent seven weeks at No. 1 in the U.K. and, so far, has peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in the U.S. (AP PhotoKevin Hagen)
His grandmother's death fueled the lyrics behind his breakthrough anthem, the pop ballad "Someone You Loved," which is currently No. 3 on Billboard's all-genre Hot 100 chart and No. 1 on Top 40 radio. The song also topped the U.K. charts for seven weeks.
"I didn't cry when she died, which was very bizarre, and I remember being like, always upset," he said. "When you're younger, your grandparents ... you know them just as, 'Well this is my grandmother, she makes a great bowl of soup.' ...You don't really know them personally. You don't start that until you are older, and you start to learn about their life. You learn beyond the old lady."
"I was just getting to properly know you and you're taken away. But I didn't want to write a song like, 'My gran's dead. That's very morbid,'" he said.
This Oct. 11, 2019 photo shows Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi poses for a portrait at concert venue Brooklyn Steel in New York. Capaldi’s hit single, “Someone You Loved,” spent seven weeks at No. 1 in the U.K. and, so far, has peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in the U.S. (AP PhotoKevin Hagen)
The multi-platinum-selling ballad has topped the charts in several territories, from Canada to Scotland to Malaysia, and it has helped raise Capaldi's profile in the U.S., where his album steadily climbs the Billboard 200 chart. This week, it has jumped to No. 25.
Capaldi said the track is finding success because his fans have been able to relate to the song in different ways, whether it's the death of a family member or the demise of a romantic relationship.
"I think when people come up to me after the shows and say (the song reminds me of), '...My brother who passed away' or 'a girl that I don't see any longer'" — just all of that (stuff), that's amazing," he said.
This Oct. 11, 2019 photo shows Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi poses for a portrait at concert venue Brooklyn Steel in New York. Capaldi’s hit single, “Someone You Loved,” spent seven weeks at No. 1 in the U.K. and, so far, has peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in the U.S. (AP PhotoKevin Hagen)
SiriusXM believed in Capaldi early, first playing "Someone You Loved" in December 2018: "When we heard it we thought, 'This is Ed Sheeran meets Adele with a very fresh, unique voice,'" said Scott Greenstein, president and chief operating officer at SiriusXM.
It was around the time SiriusXM acquired Pandora and Greenstein "was looking for something to sort of test both platforms working simultaneously and hand-to-hand and see what would happen if we accelerated and believed in something."
"SiriusXM, that's a pretty regular occurrence, but Pandora is used to be more of a laidback service where things would surface up. This was sort of one of the first times a new song was aggressively played to see if it could perform like a hit would after its been on the platform for many months," he said. "The song and the timing seemed to fit a unique place."
This Oct. 11, 2019 photo shows Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi poses for a portrait at concert venue Brooklyn Steel in New York. Capaldi’s hit single, “Someone You Loved,” spent seven weeks at No. 1 in the U.K. and, so far, has peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in the U.S. (AP PhotoKevin Hagen)
The music video for "Someone You Loved" — keep the tissues near — is focused on raising awareness about organ donation and stars the singer's cousin, "Doctor Who" actor Peter Capaldi. And the rest of Capaldi's album has similar emotion, hitting you in the gut with piercing lyrics anchored by his gravelly voice, which he honed by imitating Joe Cocker for years and years.
"I just love voices that felt like they punched you in the face, in the best way possible," he said.
Capaldi said he started singing around age 9, just belting around the house. That led him to start posting videos on YouTube — "Justin Bieber was getting found on YouTube ... it was the beginning of all that" — and then he started performing at pubs. He did that for nine years and it's how he — sort of — met his current manager.
This Oct. 11, 2019 photo shows Scottish singer Lewis Capaldi poses for a portrait at concert venue Brooklyn Steel in New York. Capaldi’s hit single, “Someone You Loved,” spent seven weeks at No. 1 in the U.K. and, so far, has peaked at No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in the U.S. (AP PhotoKevin Hagen)
"There is some confusion. My manager said that he sent someone to the bar I was playing at to come see me. He said he found my stuff on (SoundCloud)," Capaldi said. "He still does it now to be honest, sits on SoundCloud for (expletive) hours at a time, just tries to find someone with a voice."
Shortly after, Capaldi got an email.
"I thought, 'Strange man on the internet emailing me.' I ignored it a couple of times," he said, laughing. Capaldi later invited him to a show, but he made sure his parents were there.
"I would say to any children out there, 'Anyone that's 17 or whatever that gets an email, just make sure your mom's out there. If a strange man on the internet promises you stardom, it's probably not good,'" he said.
While Capaldi's music is packed with emotion and passion, his Instagram page? It's playful, silly and mirthful. He posts various selfies — taken like a parent still trying to learn about angles — and in photos he's wearing bright pink flamingo sunglasses or cheetah-framed ones. He could give a master class on how to wrap your head in a towel — fans have even sported the look at some of his shows. He'll also crop himself into group photos. This sums it all up: his profile name is Lewis Calamari.
Capaldi said because social media is filled with so much negativity, he just wants to use it to have some fun: "I just do it to amuse myself."
"It's kind of cool to be able to do both things. I've been to see so many bands and singers over the last 20 years of my life and they play all the sad music. In between songs I'm like, 'Oh this next song is about people in my family that died, or my girlfriend.' (And they reply), 'Who (expletive) cares. Sing the song ... We're all drunk. No one wants to be somber here,'" he said. "I think that's what I love about it even though the songs are sad, the shows are not sad."
"That last New York show, the crowd was like rowdy, which I've been so surprised by," he Capaldi said. "Because you listen to the music and it's like, you don't go see Adele and people are on people's shoulders. ...I think it may have something to do with Instagram or whatever or who I am as a person."
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he would not supply offensive weapons that Israel could use to launch an all-out assault on Rafah — the last major Hamas stronghold in Gaza — over concern for the well-being of the more than 1 million civilians sheltering there.
Biden, in an interview with CNN, said the U.S. was still committed to Israel's defense and would supply Iron Dome rocket interceptors and other defensive arms, but that if Israel goes into Rafah, “we’re not going to supply the weapons and artillery shells used.”
The U.S. has historically provided enormous amounts of military aid to Israel. That has only accelerated in the aftermath of Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack that killed some 1,200 in Israel and led to about 250 being taken captive by militants. Biden's comments and his decision last week to pause a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel are the most striking manifestations of the growing daylight between his administration and Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. Biden has said that Israel needs to do far more to protect the lives of civilians in Gaza.
The shipment was supposed to consist of 1,800 2,000-pound (900-kilogram) bombs and 1,700 500-pound (225-kilogram) bombs, according to a senior U.S. administration official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter. The focus of U.S. concern was the larger explosives and how they could be used in a dense urban.
“Civilians have been killed in Gaza as a consequence of those bombs and other ways in which they go after population centers," Biden told CNN. “I made it clear that if they go into Rafah — they haven’t gone in Rafah yet — if they go into Rafah, I’m not supplying the weapons that have been used historically to deal with Rafah, to deal with the cities, that deal with that problem.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin earlier Wednesday confirmed the weapons delay, telling the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on defense that the U.S. paused “one shipment of high payload munitions.”
“We’re going to continue to do what’s necessary to ensure that Israel has the means to defend itself,” Austin said. “But that said, we are currently reviewing some near-term security assistance shipments in the context of unfolding events in Rafah.”
It also comes as the Biden administration is due to deliver a first-of-its-kind formal verdict this week on whether the airstrikes on Gaza and restrictions on delivery of aid have violated international and U.S. laws designed to spare civilians from the worst horrors of war. A decision against Israel would further add to pressure on Biden to curb the flow of weapons and money to Israel’s military.
Biden signed off on the pause in an order conveyed last week to the Pentagon, according to U.S. officials who were not authorized to comment on the matter. The White House National Security Council sought to keep the decision out of the public eye for several days until it had a better understanding of the scope of Israel’s intensified military operations in Rafah and until Biden could deliver a long-planned speech on Tuesday to mark Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Biden’s administration in April began reviewing future transfers of military assistance as Netanyahu’s government appeared to move closer toward an invasion of Rafah, despite months of opposition from the White House. The official said the decision to pause the shipment was made last week and no final decision had been made yet on whether to proceed with the shipment at a later date.
U.S. officials had declined for days to comment on the halted transfer, word of which came as Biden on Tuesday described U.S. support for Israel as “ironclad, even when we disagree.”
Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, in an interview with Israeli Channel 12 TV news, said the decision to pause the shipment was “a very disappointing decision, even frustrating." He suggested the move stemmed from political pressure on Biden from Congress, the U.S. campus protests and the upcoming election.
The decision also drew a sharp rebuke from House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who said they only learned about the military aid holdup from press reports, despite assurances from the Biden administration that no such pauses were in the works. The Republicans called on Biden in a letter to swiftly end the blockage, saying it “risks emboldening Israel's enemies,” and to brief lawmakers on the nature of the policy reviews.
Biden has faced pressure from some on the left — and condemnation from the critics on the right who say Biden has moderated his support for an essential Mideast ally.
“If we stop weapons necessary to destroy the enemies of the state of Israel at a time of great peril, we will pay a price,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., his voice rising in anger during an exchange with Austin. “This is obscene. It is absurd. Give Israel what they need to fight the war they can’t afford to lose.”
Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, a Biden ally, said in a statement the pause on big bombs must be a “first step.”
“Our leverage is clear,” Sanders said. “Over the years, the United States has provided tens of billions of dollars in military aid to Israel. We can no longer be complicit in Netanyahu’s horrific war against the Palestinian people.”
Austin, meanwhile, told lawmakers that "it’s about having the right kinds of weapons for the task at hand.”
"A small diameter bomb, which is a precision weapon, that’s very useful in a dense, built-up environment,” he said, “but maybe not so much a 2,000-pound bomb that could create a lot of collateral damage.” He said the U.S. wants to see Israel do “more precise” operations.
Israeli troops on Tuesday seized control of Gaza’s vital Rafah border crossing in what the White House described as a limited operation that stopped short of the full-on Israeli invasion of the city that Biden has repeatedly warned against on humanitarian grounds, most recently in a Monday call with Netanyahu.
Israel has ordered the evacuation of 100,000 Palestinians from the city. Israeli forces have also carried out what it describes as “targeted strikes” on the eastern part of Rafah and captured the Rafah crossing, a critical conduit for the flow of humanitarian aid along the Gaza-Egypt border.
Privately, concern has mounted inside the White House about what’s unfolding in Rafah, but publicly administration officials have stressed that they did not think the operations had defied Biden’s warnings against a widescale operation in the city.
The State Department is separately considering whether to approve the continued transfer of Joint Direct Attack Munition kits, which place precision guidance systems onto bombs, to Israel, but the review didn’t pertain to imminent shipments.
Itamar Yaar, former deputy head of Israel’s National Security Council said the U.S. move is largely symbolic, but a sign of trouble and could become more of a problem if it is sustained.
“It’s not some kind of American embargo on American munitions support, but I think its some kind of diplomatic message to Mr. Netanyahu that he needs to take into consideration American interests more than he has over the last few months," he said. "At least for now it will not impact Israeli capability but it’s some kind of a signal, a ‘be careful.’”
The U.S. dropped the 2,000-pound bomb sparingly in its long war against the Islamic State militant group. Israel, by contrast, has used the bomb frequently in the seven-month Gaza war. Experts say the use of the weapon, in part, has helped drive the enormous Palestinian casualty count that the Hamas-run health ministry puts at more than 34,000 dead, though it doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians.
The U.S.-Israel relationship has been close through both Democratic and Republican administrations. But there have been other moments of deep tension since Israel's founding in which U.S. leaders have threatened to hold up aid in attempt to sway Israeli leadership.
President Dwight Eisenhower pressured Israel with the threat of sanctions into withdrawing from the Sinai in 1957 in the midst of the Suez Crisis. Ronald Reagan delayed the delivery of F16 fighter jets to Israel at a time of escalating violence in the Middle East. President George H.W. Bush held up $10 billion in loan guarantees to force the cessation of Israeli settlement activity in the occupied territories.
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Associated Press writers Josef Federman in Jerusalem and Lolita C. Baldor and Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
President Joe Biden arrives at Chicago O'Hare International Airport to attend a political fundraiser, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. CQ Brown, right, listens as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, speaks during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Protestors opposed to the war between Israel and Hamas stand before a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. CQ Brown on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., speaks during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense with Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. CQ Brown on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Protestors opposed to the Israel-Hamas war are escorted out as Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, left, speaks during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin attends a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Committee Subcommittee on Defense on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, May 8, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, May 7, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
President Joe Biden speaks at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum's Annual Days of Remembrance ceremony at the U.S. Capitol, Tuesday, May 7, 2024 in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
Pentagon chief confirms US has paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion
Pentagon chief confirms US has paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion
Smoke rises following an Israeli airstrike east of Rafah, Gaza Strip, Monday, May 6, 2024. (AP Photo/Ismael Abu Dayyah)
